Government Trust Issues Fueled COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy, Inquiry Finds

A lack of trust in government significantly contributed to misinformation and low COVID-19 vaccine uptake across the UK, according to the latest COVID-19 inquiry report published Thursday. The report warns that the government must work to rebuild public trust in vaccines before another pandemic emerges, especially as vaccine misinformation continues to spread globally through social media channels.

Baroness Hallett, who chairs the inquiry, identified that “lack of trust and confidence in governments and health systems,” combined with susceptibility to false information about vaccines, undermined the UK’s otherwise largely successful vaccination campaign.

“To some extent, this lack of confidence in COVID-19 vaccinations was a global issue, fuelled by the rapid sharing of false information online,” Hallett stated. “However, it is clear that a lack of trust and confidence in authority was also a significant contributing factor in the UK.”

While the inquiry celebrated Britain’s vaccine rollout as an “extraordinary feat” that saved an estimated 475,000 lives in England and Scotland by March 2023, it highlighted several concerning issues. The report found that certain government decisions, particularly the mandatory vaccine requirements for care home staff in England, were “political and not led by clinical advice.” These decisions reportedly contributed to “alienation and increased vaccine hesitancy” among certain communities.

The inquiry determined that lower vaccine uptake in economically disadvantaged areas and among some ethnic minority communities was predictable and could have been better anticipated with proper planning. For many individuals in these communities, concerns centered primarily on vaccine safety and potential side effects.

“Governments and health services must work with communities to rebuild trust and promote a better understanding of, and confidence in, vaccines,” Hallett emphasized. The report urges all four UK nations to take proactive steps to build trust within communities with historically lower vaccine uptake rates before another pandemic occurs.

The UK’s strong position in biomedical sciences enabled the rapid development and large-scale deployment of COVID-19 vaccines. The inquiry confirmed that despite the accelerated timeline, the vaccines’ fast development did not compromise the UK’s rigorous safety standards. Rather, the “remarkable pace” of vaccine development was attributed to decades of global research and preparation.

However, the inquiry identified significant shortcomings in the government’s support for those injured by vaccines. Lady Hallett stated that the current payment scheme for vaccine injuries requires urgent reform. The report recommends almost doubling the maximum payouts from £120,000 to at least £200,000 – noting that the current upper limit was last revised in 2007.

Additionally, the inquiry called for the elimination of the threshold requiring individuals to be 60 percent disabled to receive compensation, arguing this leaves “those people with a significant injury that affects how they live, but does not meet the 60 percent threshold, with nothing.”

The backlog in processing vaccine injury claims remains substantial. As of January 2025, only 9,545 of 17,519 applications to the vaccine damage payment scheme had received a decision, leaving nearly 8,000 applicants without resolution. More than 1,000 applicants have been waiting for over a year, with 126 waiting more than two years.

The inquiry made five key recommendations, including reforming the payment scheme, giving regulatory bodies access to healthcare records for safety monitoring of new vaccines and treatments, establishing a “pharmaceutical expert advisory panel” to position the UK for future vaccine development and procurement, producing targeted vaccine strategies, and improving monitoring of vaccine uptake and delivery.

The government reported spending £111 million responding to the inquiry, covering legal advice and staffing costs. By the end of December, the inquiry itself had spent nearly £204 million, including expenses for setup, the chair, lawyer costs, and holding public hearings across all four UK nations.

As global vaccine hesitancy remains a challenge, the report underscores the importance of understanding and addressing the complex social and psychological factors that influence vaccine acceptance before the next public health emergency emerges.